Abnormality of prenatal development or birth Delayed passage of meconium 2024-01-27T15:20:07Z Failure to pass meconium (the first stool following birth) in the first 48 hours of life. Failure to pass meconium combined with progressive abdominal distention, refusal to feed and vomiting of bilious intestinal contents are the classic clinical signs of intestinal obstruction in neonates. The first stool is passed within 24 hours of birth in 99 percent of healthy full-term infants and within 48 hours in all healthy full-term infants.